The new fire alert system is up and running in all 24 Omaha fire stations.

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Updated: 6:24 PM CDT Oct 18, 2018

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WEBVTT REPORTER: EVERYONE AT THE 24 -- OF THE 24 OMAHA FIRE STATIONS IS NOW OPERATING WITH STATE OF THE ART TECHNOLOGY FOR EMERGEN ALARMS. >> WE ARE ALWAYS AT THE MERCY OF TECHNOLOGY AND THAT’S WHY WE DESIGNED THE SYSTEM TO MOVE WITH THAT FLOW. REPORTER: THE EQUIPMENT THE CITY REPLACED WAS SO OLD AND OUTDATED, COMPANIES STOPPED MAKING SPARE PARTS. IT WAS SO BAD, ALARMS AT TWO STATIONS BROKE ALL TOGETHE MY KETV INVESTIGATION REVEALED SOME FIREFIGHTERS SET UP POP CANS ON A PRINTER ACTIVATED WH EMERGENCY CALLS COME IN. THEY LISTENED FOR THEM TO FALL SO THEY WOULDN’T MISS A CALL. >> FROM WHERE WE WERE SIX MONTHS A YEAR AGO WITH THE STATUS AND QUALITY AS IT WAS REACHING THE END OF ITS LIFE COMPARED TO WHERE WE ARE WITH 21ST CENTURY SYSTEM IT’S JUST NIGHT AND DAY. REPORTER: THE GOAL IS TO GET FIREFIGHTERS AND MEDICS OUT THE DOOR IN SIXTY SECONDS OR LESS, THE NEW SYSTEM HAS A CLOCK SHOWING THEIR PROGRESS AND IT TAKES THEIR HEALTH AND SAFETY INTO CONSIDERATION EVERY CALL HAS A COMPUTER AUTOMATED VOICE, KNOWN AS SAMANTHA, WITH HEART SAVER TONE >> THOSE ARE ALL DESIGNED TO BE BUILT TO LESSEN THE IMPACT O THOSE FIREFIGHTERS AND THEIR STRESS LEVELS. >> THIS IS GOING TO A HAVE DRAMATIC IMPACT ON HEALTH OF FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDING. REPORTER: ALL OF THIS, THE CHIEF HOPES WILL GET FIREFIGHTERS TO YOU AND YOUR EMERGENCIES FASTER TO SAVE MORE LIVES. THIS NEW ALERT SYSTEM WAS THE FIRST PROJECT COMPLETED AND PAID FOR WITH THAT $45 MILLION PUBLIC SAFETY BOND PASSED BY VOTERS T YEARS AGO. THAT BOND WILL ALSO PAY TO UPGRADE AND RELOCATE THE DOUGLAS COUNTY 911 CENTER, AND MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE JAIL AMO -- DOUGLAS COUNTY JA

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New fire alert system could get firefighters to emergencies faster

The new fire alert system is up and running in all 24 Omaha fire stations.

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"We wanted to pick a system that we knew would pay dividends to the taxpayer and pay dividends to our firefighters," Fire Chief Dan Olsen said.

The state-of-art system replaces old and outdated equipment. Companies stopped making spare parts for the old systems.

It was so bad- a KETV investigation revealed some firefighters resorted to using a "pop can alarms." They set pop cans on top of 911 printers and would listen for them to fall when emergency calls come in.

"From where we were six months or a year ago with the status and quality as it was, with the system reaching the end of its life, compared to where we are with this 21st century system, it's just night and day," Fire Union President Steve LeClair said.

The new system has a digital clock to show the progress of firefighters getting out the door. The goal is 60 seconds or less.

Other features include a no-emotion, computer-animated voice, called "Samantha" and heart-saver tones.

"The tones have a ramping up ability so they start as a low ton and ramp up to a higher tone," Olsen said. "Those are all designed to be built to lessen the impact on those firefighters and their stress levels."

All of the new features, the chief said, will also reduce response times.

"All of those things compiled,we believe, will ultimately reduce in quicker processing times and overall enhancing the ability to respond to emergencies in a quicker time," Olsen said.